Forty     16 Feb 14 19:24 
I think people are saying that UDS and AP would enhance the race and are annoyed that Mullins (it appear) is trying to ensure that HF has a better chance of adding a third win.

This ^

No 1 crabbing HF


I'd agree with that, UDS & AP running would certainly enhance the race. No doubt.



I was responding to silly things like this

"Hurricane Fly is a brilliant horse win or lose, but he needs to beat these as well or this rais IMHO will be slightly tainted and it should be the stand out race of the festival."

"in my eyes an hf has lost credibility knowin good horses have been taken out for his benefit"


If Fly wins this Champion Hurdle at 10yo it will be the achievement of his career. He will have lost absolutely nothing in way of credibility nor will his win be tainted at all.


I did not rate Annie Power nor UDS as significant rivals for Hurricane Fly so from my view the fact that neither run doesn't really diminish the race much in my view. I think they aren't taking him on because the trainer knows they won't beat him. I have thought since the summer it was all about the big 5 and as long as they get there and race each other it will be the best running of the race I've ever seen.


That's just my view on it. One of many differing ones for sure.

BJG - sorry misunderstood your post. Bit slow on occasions lol.

Quvega - agree completely. Saying that AP hasn't been ruled out yet.

Forty

I think the Flys "not as impressive" at Cheltenham are more to do with the faster ground. To me he is a soft ground horse to be seen at his very best.
He may still cope with it enough to win again this year, but agree the opposition looks better than what he has faced before.

CVByrne     16 Feb 14 20:14 
Will UDS stay hurdling next season is what I want to know. I have been dying to see this horse go off from the front in an Arkle.

Will be goin for a 6 timer in the clonmel oil chase in 2021 if his current cotton wool approach is anythin to go by

Will be goin for a 6 timer in the clonmel oil chase in 2021 if his current cotton wool approach is anythin to go by Laugh

who they playing?

the wife took our  eldest to Newcastle when the baggies went there, said the atmosphere was sh*te

not a bad side the villa, but cant put 2 good performances B2B

they have the best youth system in the midlands though

Alleged...
you must live by me if your a baggie

BJG
Date Joined:     20 Aug 07
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CVByrne     16 Feb 14 20:14 
Will UDS stay hurdling next season is what I want to know. I have been dying to see this horse go off from the front in an Arkle.

Will be goin for a 6 timer in the clonmel oil chase in 2021 if his current cotton wool approach is anythin to go by




The cotton wool treatment this season has been a bit too much. Send the horse over to the bula or something ffs if he wasn't going to take on Fly. Don't understand why he's been kept so low key tbh. Smacks of Mullins thinking he'd prefer to have him for next year when Fly will be too old to be given preferential treatment.


Mullins will always be Mullins. His mantra is keeping his best horses apart, always will be.

ive tried for 15 yrs to convert her but shes hardcore baggie

Dudley mate

Ha ha would have said Tipton next.
Darlaston me and for my sins a Walsall fan,fair few Wolves fans in the family tho.

Mullins always keeps his best horses apart. Period. So Annie Power going for a race she will be favourite for is not a decision made just simply to help out Hurricane Fly. Mullins wants to maximise his chances of winning races at the Festival. Vautour, Faugheen, Briar Hill, Champange Fever, Felix Yonger, Quevega all kept apart.

UDS I do believe has been put on the back burner all season by Mullins in an effort to save him for next season. That imo is a degree of Mullins looking to do the same thing and maximise his chance of a Champion Hurdle winner next season when Fly will be 11yo and most certainly on the downgrade.


Mullins will always be like this. Looking to best use the horses he has to maximise the number winners he gets. Almost selfishly. I imagine his owners know this.

That would be all fine CV Byrne if he owned the horses,he doesn't and should campaign the horses in the races that best suit the horses and not the races that gives Willie Mullins the most chance of festival winners.

It's acceptable to keep them apart in prep races obviously.

I really dont understand the anti WM and HF mentality.

WM has a whole host of novice hurdlers which he could run at the festival and it is impossible for him to know, for certain, weeks in advance where they are going. In general we know where the main ones are running. Yet there are many instances of trainers with one or two horses who have not informed us where they are running and we hear very few complaints about them. Also the more races/prize money WM horses win the more races/prize money his owners win. Its simple really but people on here for their own reasons cant see that. Some have even suggested that some owners should take their horses away from him which is even more amazing.

Then we have HF a horse which has done it all. He has been crabbed by some. It does not really matter how the race is run. HF has speed, stays and jumps hurdles way better than most horses we have seen. HF beat Solwhit over 2m 4f when Solwhit was at his peak. If he is beaten this year it will be because father time has caught up.

Yes you can supplement Paulie Walnuts,there was talk last year about MTOY being supplemented and the year before that Spirit son (just because he was matched on here for a few pound).

I think you can supplement up until a few days before it and it costs in the region of €20k/25k-someone else might know the exact date or the cost?

5th March supplementary and confirmation stage

Willie last Tuesday: "The plan is to run Un De Sceaux once we are happy with him later in the week."

......so 20 hours later is "later in the week" these days?

Sounds like Willie never had any intention of putting UDS in the same race as Hurricane all season

I think they might be running a bit scared too tbh and this is more about HFs last realistic shot at another CH.

Thank you dj and pedro.... I thought it was going to be a messy race with a muddling gallop.... Surely McManus or Connell will find a pacemaker from somewhere....with all the horses they have....

I'm gonna take a guess here and say that those who are most vocal / angry about this are those who have backed UDS.

Does it take a slight element of intrigue away from the race? Probably. Would beating TNO, MTOY, OC and Jezki be tainted simply because UDS didn't run? Absolutely not.

People need to stop getting their knickers in a twist and deal with it. The horse is only 6, has won a couple of egg and spoon races and is clearly being brought on gradually with the long term being the priority.

Also, if Mullins doesn't think UDS can't beat HF this year but would be bang on key year, then this is the right thing to do by the horse

Six is a good age for a champion hurdler. Only Mullins knows why he has done what he has done but it's a fact that in racing tomorrow often doesn't come. The horse could be struck down by a career ending injury next season or one that diminishes him to the extent that he isn't the same. As someone else pointed out look at the sheer number of horses Mullins himself has on the easy list due to injury. Throw in the fact that on the day anything can happen regrading The Fly and one can only conclude that the owner must be a very patient/trusting man. This is another one along with Annie Power which if I were the owner would be taking that chance. I'd rather run and risk finishing fifth than forever be left wondering what if?